Max Keyboard

Shortcuts

The key to working efficiently with Max is learning the keyboard shortcuts. If you know the keyboard shortcuts, you won’t need to

spend time moving the mouse cursor all around the interface; you can simply press the keyboard shortcut and get instant access to commands and tools.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Most of the major dialog boxes such as the Material Editor and the Track View have their own set of keyboard shortcuts. When the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle button (found in the Extras toolbar) is enabled, keyboard shortcuts work for both the main interface and the separate dialog boxes. If there is a conflict, the dialog box’s shortcut takes precedence.

For example, in the main Max window, the A key toggles the Angle Snap feature on and off, but in the Track View–Curve Editor window, the A key enables Adds Keys mode. If the Curve Editor is open and the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle is enabled, then the Add Keys mode is enabled. If the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle is off, then the Angle Snap is activated.

If you want to change any of the keyboard shortcuts, the Customize User Interface dialog box includes a Keyboard panel for making changes. You can open this dialog box using the Customize Customize User Interface command.

Cross-	Chapter 4, “Customizing the Max Interface and Setting Preferences,”
Reference	offers more details on creating custom keyboard shortcuts.

Using the Hotkey Map

In the Help menu, you can find the Hotkey Map menu command that opens an interactive window, shown in Figure C-1, that displays all the current keyboard shortcuts for the main interface.

A PCP E N D I X

In This Appendix

Overriding the keyboard shortcuts

Using the Hotkey Map

Main interface shortcuts

Dialog box shortcuts

Miscellaneous shortcuts

Note	The Hotkey Map window is a Flash-enabled application and requires
	that the Flash plug-in is installed.

1202 Appendixes

Moving the mouse cursor over the keyboard displayed in the lower-right corner of the Hotkey Map window highlights the respective section of the keyboard and displays all keyboard shortcuts associated with those keys. The icon in the upper-right corner refreshes the interface and the triangle in the lower-right corner cycles through all the keys.

Figure C-1: The Hotkey Map window displays keyboard shortcuts interactively.

Main Interface Shortcuts

The following tables present the various shortcut keys for the main interface.

	Menus
Command	Shortcut
File New Scene	Ctrl+N
File Open File	Ctrl+O
File Save File	Ctrl+S
Edit Undo Scene Operation	Ctrl+Z
Edit Redo Scene Operation	Ctrl+Y
Edit Hold	Alt+Ctrl+H
Edit Fetch	Alt+Ctrl+F
Edit Delete Objects	Delete
Edit Clone	Ctrl+V
Edit Select All	Ctrl+A
Edit Select None	Ctrl+D
Edit Select Invert	Ctrl+I
Edit Select by Name	H
Tool Transform Type-In	F12
Tool Align	Alt+A

Appendix C Max Keyboard Shortcuts 1203

Command	Shortcut
Tool Spacing Tool	Shift+I
Tool Normal Align	Alt+N
Tool Place Highlight	Ctrl+H
Tool Isolate Selection	Alt+Q
Views Undo View Change	Shift+Z
Views Redo View Change	Shift+Y
Views Viewport Background	Alt+B
Views Update Background Image	Alt+Shift+Ctrl+B
Views Match Camera To View	Ctrl+C
Views Redraw All Views	`
Views Adaptive Degradation Toggle	O
Views Expert Mode Toggle	Ctrl+X
Graph Editors Particle View	6
Rendering Render Scene	F10
Rendering Environment	8
Rendering Render to Texture	0 (zero)
Rendering Material Editor	M
Customize Show/Hide Main Toolbar	Alt+6
Customize Lock User Interface	Alt+0 (zero)
MAXScript MAXScript Listener	F11
File Menu	Alt+F
Edit Menu	Alt+E
Tools Menu	Alt+T
Group Menu	Alt+G
Views Menu	Alt+V
Create Menu	Alt+C
Modifiers Menu	Alt+O
Character Menu	Alt+H
Animation Menu	Alt+A
Graph Editors Menu	Alt+D
Rendering Menu	Alt+R
Customize Menu	Alt+U
MAXScript Menu	Alt+M
Help Menu	Alt+H+H

1204 Appendixes

Main and Floating Toolbars
Command	Shortcut
Undo	Ctrl+Z
Redo	Ctrl+Y
Select Object	Q
Select by Name	H
Rectangle, Circle, Fence, Lasso Selection Cycle	Ctrl+F, Q
Select and Move	W
Select and Rotate	E
Select and Scale	R
Scale Cycle	R, Ctrl+E
Snap Toggle	S
Angle Snap Toggle	A
Snap Percent	Shift+Ctrl+P
Align	Alt+A
Normal Align	Alt+N
Place Highlight	Ctrl+H
Material Editor	M
Render Scene	F10
Quick Render	Shift+Q
Restrict to X	F5
Restrict to Y	F6
Restrict to Z	F7
Restrict Plane Cycle	F8

Appendix C Max Keyboard Shortcuts 1205

	Viewports
Command	Shortcut
Front View	F
Top View	T
Bottom View	B
Left View	L
Perspective View	P
Isometric User View	U
Camera View	C
Light View	Shift+4 ($)
Disable Viewport	D
Viewports Pop-up Menu	V
Dynamic Resizing	drag viewport borders
Transform Gizmo Toggle	X
Transform Gizmo Size Down	-
Transform Gizmo Size Up	=
Shade Selected Subobject Faces	F2
Wireframe/Smooth+Highlights Toggle	F3
View Edged Faces	F4
Polygon Counter	7
Sound Toggle	\
Show Safeframes	Shift+F
Default Lighting	Ctrl+L
See-Through Display	Alt+X
Redraw All Views	`
Offset Snap	Alt+Ctrl+spacebar
Show/Hide Cameras	Shift+C
Show/Hide Geometry	Shift+G
Show/Hide Grids	G
Show/Hide Helpers	Shift+H
Show/Hide Lights	Shift+L
Show/Hide Particle Systems	Shift+P
Show/Hide Shapes	Shift+S
Show/Hide Space Warps	Shift+W

1206 Appendixes

	Key and Time Controls
Command	Shortcut
Selection Lock Toggle	Spacebar
Auto Key Mode	N
Set Key Mode	'
Set Keys	K
Play / Stop Animation	/
Backup Time One Unit	,
Forward Time One Unit	.
Go to Start Frame	Home
Go to End Frame	End

	Viewport Navigation Controls
Command	Shortcut
Zoom Mode	Alt+Z
Zoom Extents	Alt+Ctrl+Z
Zoom Extents All	Shift+Ctrl+Z
Zoom Extents Selected All	Z
Zoom Region Mode	Ctrl+W
Zoom Viewport In	[ or scroll wheel forward
Zoom Viewport Out	] or scroll wheel backward
Pan View	Ctrl+P or drag with middle button
Interactive Pan	I (held down)
Arc Rotate	Ctrl+R, Alt+drag with middle button
Min/Max Toggle	Alt+W

	Quadmenus
Command	Shortcut
Animation Quadmenu	Alt+right-mouse click
Lighting/Rendering Quadmenu	Ctrl+Alt+right-mouse click

Appendix C Max Keyboard Shortcuts 1207

Command	Shortcut
Modeling Quadmenu	Ctrl+right-mouse click
Snap Quadmenu	Shift+right-mouse click
Viewports Quadmenu	V
Custom 1 Quadmenu	Shift+Alt+right-mouse click
Custom 2 Quadmenu	Shift+Ctrl+Alt+right-mouse click
Custom 3 Quadmenu	Shift+Ctrl+right-mouse click

		Virtual Viewport
	Command	Shortcut
	Virtual Viewport Toggle	/ (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Zoom In	+ (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Zoom Out	- (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Pan Down	2 (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Pan Left	4 (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Pan Right	6 (numeric keypad)
	Virtual Viewport Pan Up	8 (numeric keypad)
Note
	The Virtual Viewport option is available only when the OpenGL display driver is used.
		Subobjects
	Command	Shortcut
	Subobject mode toggle	Ctrl+B
	Subobject Level Cycle	Insert
	Subobject Level 1	1
	Subobject Level 2	2
	Subobject Level 3	3
	Subobject Level 4	4
	Subobject Level 5	5
	Delete Subobject	Delete
	Local Select Subobject by Name	Ctrl+H

1208 Appendixes

	Hierarchies
Command	Shortcut
Select Ancestor	Page Up
Select Child	Page Down
Select Children	Ctrl+Page Down
Select Entire Hierarchy	Double-click parent

	Editable Mesh
Command	Shortcut
Vertex Subobject Mode	1
Edge Subobject Mode	2
Face Subobject Mode	3
Polygon Subobject Mode	4
Element Subobject Mode	5
Detach	Ctrl+D
Cut Mode	Alt+C
Bevel Mode	Ctrl+V, Ctrl+B
Chamfer Mode	Ctrl+C
Extrude Mode	Ctrl+E
Edge Invisible	Ctrl+I
Edge Turn	Ctrl+T
Weld Selected	Ctrl+W
Weld Target Mode	Alt+W

Appendix C Max Keyboard Shortcuts 1209

	Editable Poly
Command	Shortcut
Vertex Subobject Mode	1
Edge Subobject Mode	2
Border Subobject Mode	3
Face Subobject Mode	4
Element Subobject Mode	5
Object Level (disable subobject mode)	6
Repeat Last Operation	;
Grow Selection	Ctrl+Page Up
Shrink Selection	Ctrl+Page Down
Select Edge Loop	Alt+L
Select Edge Ring	Alt+R
Connect	Shift+Ctrl+E
Cut	Alt+C
Constrain to Edges	Shift+X
Quickslice Mode	Shift+Ctrl+Q
Bevel Mode	Shift+Ctrl+B
Chamfer Mode	Shift+Ctrl+C
Extrude Mode	Shift+E
Extrude Poly Face	Alt+E
Meshsmooth	Ctrl+M
Hide	Alt+H
Hide Unselected	Alt+I
Unhide All	Alt+U
Weld Mode	Shift+Ctrl+W
Cap Poly Object	Alt+P
Collapse Poly Object	Alt+Ctrl+C

1210 Appendixes

	NURBS
Command	Shortcut
Lock 2D Selection	Spacebar
CV Constrained Normal Move	Alt+N
CV Constrained U Move	Alt+U
CV Constrained V Move	Alt+V
Display Curves	Shift+Ctrl+C
Display Surfaces	Shift+Ctrl+S
Display Lattices	Ctrl+L
Display Shaded Lattice	Alt+L
Display Dependents	Ctrl+D
Display Toolbox	Ctrl+T
Display Trims	Shift+Ctrl+T
Select Next in U	Ctrl+Right Arrow
Select Previous in U	Ctrl+Left Arrow
Select Next in V	Ctrl+Up Arrow
Select Previous in V	Ctrl+Down Arrow
Tessellation Preset 1	Ctrl+1
Tessellation Preset 2	Ctrl+2
Tessellation Preset 3	Ctrl+3
Switch to Point Level	Alt+Shift+P
Switch to Curve Level	Alt+Shift+C
Switch to Curve CV Level	Alt+Shift+Z
Switch to Surface Level	Alt+Shift+S
Switch to Surface CV Level	Alt+Shift+V
Switch to Imports Level	Alt+Shift+I
Switch to Top Level	Alt+Shift+T
Transform Degrade	Ctrl+X